The present invention relates to reclosable packaging and in particular to such packaging wherein indicia is provided to indicate the first opening of the package.
Zipper packaging is becoming more and more prevalent as the primary packaging for foodstuffs and other consumer products. Such packages readily lend themselves to being opened by the consumer and reclosed after some portion of the package is removed, rendering the remainder of the package contents readily storable in the original package. Unfortunately the zipper alone does not afford protection against potential tampering with the package contents and hence the need has arisen for manufacturers to provide on such zipper packaging tamper evidence to alert the consumer to a first opening of the package. Such tamper evidence discourages potential tampering of the product prior to sale and alerts the consumer if the package has already been opened, regardless of whether the zipper is open or closed. The problem of providing a tamper evident zipper is exacerbated where the zipper is to be provided with a slider. While a slider facilitates a consumer opening and reclosing the package and hence is desirable in some instances, the slider makes it difficult for the manufacturer to employ conventional techniques to render the package tamper evident.
In view of the above, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved zipper package construction which requires some permanent change of the package appearance to enable the first opening of the package by the purchaser of the package.
A further object is to provide such a package wherein the package is xe2x80x9cuser friendlyxe2x80x9d in that the steps necessary for the initial opening of the package prior to the use of the zipper must be obvious or intuitive to the consumer.
A still further object is to provide a package that may be formed on conventional packaging equipment with little or no modification of the equipment required.
Still another object is to provide, in cases where the zipper packaging includes a slider, a tamper evident feature that is compatible with the slider being present. Similarly, where the package contents require hermetic sealing, it is desirable that the tamper evident feature also permit such hermetic sealing.
The above and other objects and advantages are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a reclosable packaging having a first wall and a second wall opposite to the front wall. A first zipper profile including a first interlocking member is attached to the first wall and a second profile having a second interlocking member, engageable with the first interlocking member, is attached to the second wall. A slider is positioned on the profiles for movement along the profiles from side to side of the package. The slider serves to disengage the profile interlocking members when moved in the direction of the closing end of the slider and to engage the profile interlocking members when moved in the direction of the opening end of the slider.
In accordance with the present invention the slider is either contained within or blocked from movement along the profile interlocking members by package material which must be removed or ruptured to permit operation of the slider or to provide access to the package contents. In either event, the steps needed to permit the initial access to the package contents leave clear evidence for a consumer that the package has been opened.
In a first embodiment of the invention, portions of the package walls extend over and about the slider and must be removed or ruptured to provide access to the slider. The portions may comprise extensions of the package wall material or may comprise portions of the zipper profiles.
In a second embodiment, a web of material extends across the package below the zipper profiles"" interlocking members. The web may be connected to the package walls or to flanges of one or both of the zipper profiles.
In a third embodiment a header is added to the package enclosing the profiles"" interlocking members and the slider. For a consumer to obtain access to the slider the header must be removed or ruptured.
In a fourth embodiment flanges of one or both of the zipper profiles are used to encapsulate the package contents, either above or below the profiles"" interlocking members.
In a fifth embodiment the zipper slider is constrained from movement along the profiles by a strip of material or a flap that must be removed before the slider can be moved from its initial closed position to an open position.
In each of the above cases, the steps that must be taken before the initial opening of the package results in a physical altering of the sealed package which may readily be observed by a consumer.